Grievous
Grievous was first let loose in the Geonosian catacombs during the Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY where he safeguarded the Separatist Council from Jedi and clone trooper companies; he left none alive to tell of his existence.[1] Dooku, impressed with the general's performance at Geonosis, trained Grievous in the art of lightsaber combat, which Grievous took to at a rapid pace.[4] Learning all the seven classic forms of Jedi arts—including the rarely seen Makashi and Juyo—Grievous quickly surpassed all the other apprentices of Dooku in terms of individual combat. Despite his obvious prowess, and the time and resources expended to creating him, Dooku still viewed him as second to the Chiss general Sev'rance Tann. It was only after Tann's death one month after Geonosis that Grievous truly began to come into his own. Grievous's first public appearance against the Republic and Jedi Order was at the Battle of Hypori[12] four months after the Battle of Geonosis.[13] Grievous led a massive detachment of battle droids to attack the Jedi on Hypori, and his tactics resulted in the obliteration of an entire Republic task force. The general cut down Jedi Master Daakman Barrek as he attempted to request reinforcements from the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who were meanwhile fighting on Muunilinst. With six other Jedi—Tarr Seirr, Sha'a Gi, Aayla Secura, K'Kruhk, and Jedi High Council members Ki-Adi-Mundi and Shaak Ti—trapped in the remains of a downed [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Acclamator_I-class_assault_ship Acclamator-class transport], Grievous ordered his B2 super battle droid troops to stand down, effectively surrounding the Jedi. The general addressed the trapped Jedi, stating that he would grant them a "warrior's death" and lying in wait for them to move. Once Padawan Gi ran screaming into the unprotected open, Grievous jumped on him and killed him. The general then propelled himself to the top of the transport and hung from his point, surveying the five remaining Jedi Knights before landing below and unleashing a vicious dual-lightsaber attack on his adversaries.[12] Grievous first targeted Mundi, advancing toward his opponent with the other Jedi in pursuit. Although Mundi evaded the general's powerful downward slash and released a Force-push at him, Grievous evaded the blast and jumped onto a nearby wall, propelling himself at the Knights and blasting them aside. Grievous cut the attacking K'Kruhk down, dismembered the rubble thrown at him by Ti, picked up the advancing Seirr with one of his mechanical feet and slammed him to the ground, and grabbed Secura as well, throwing both Seirr and Secura up against the top of the transport's remains above. Grievous then dueled both Masters Mundi and Ti at once, eventually kicking Mundi against a nearby pile of rubble. Unfazed, the cyborg general advanced at Ti, slashing his lightsabers all the while, until he knocked her lightsaber out of her hand and forced her against a pile of debris. A revived Mundi attempted to retrieve his lightsaber with the Force, only to have Grievous trap the weapon beneath one of his feet and pick it up himself. With Grievous in possession of three lightsabers (one in each hand and the third he wielded using his leg), Mundi stole one of the lightsabers secured at his waist, and Grievous jumped at Mundi, lightsabers blazing.[12] As Grievous fought Mundi, an Advanced Recon Commando clone trooper squad led by Captain Fordo arrived in an LAAT/i gunship to rescue the Jedi. While several clones followed the life signs of the surviving Jedi, Fordo led other troopers to rescue Mundi just as Grievous was preparing to kill the disarmed Jedi Master. The ARC troopers opened fire on Grievous, who evaded the blasts, running across the roof of the compound. Grievous then landed on the ground, cutting through several troopers. Fordo brought in the LAAT/i gunship, and Grievous quickly ran from the craft's laser fire and rockets. While Mundi and the ARC troopers escaped with Secura and Ti under treatment, Grievous stole the fallen K'Kruhk's lightsaber and added it to his collection of trophies around his waist. Grievous watched as the Republic gunship fled Hypori, taunting the Jedi and stating that they had "only prolonged the inevitable."[14] Six months after the Battle of Geonosis, Count Dooku tested Grievous by pitting him against fellow Separatist commanders Asajj Ventress and Durge aboard the Count's Trenchant space station. After Durge and Ventress had been lured onto the station, Grievous sneaked up on Durge, shocking him with an electrostaff When Ventress jumped onto a dragon hanging from the ceiling and attempted to find Grievous, he instead sneaked up on her and knocked her off her perch with the blunt end of his staff. Although Durge caught the falling Ventress, Grievous soon confronted the pair face-to-face. The general threw Ventress into a glass case and was caught around the neck by one of Durge's flails. Ventress then attacked Grievous from behind as he removed the flail, slashing at the cyborg with her paired lightsabers, and Durge contributed to the fight, punching Grievous and slamming him through a statue of Count Dooku. As Durge and Ventress advanced, Grievous activated two of his lightsabers, cutting into Durge and beheading the bounty hunter. Grievous saberlocked with Ventress and was slammed into a containment case by the Dark Acolyte. Despite his injuries, Grievous grabbed Ventress in a choke, responding to her probes about his identity by stating that he was "the future." With that, Grievous choked Ventress unconscious.[15] The cyborg general brought Ventress's innate body to a meeting with Count Dooku, questioning if he could jettison both bodies. Dooku refused the request and ordered them to be put in bacta tanks, stating that they had proven themselves and citing their loyalty. However, Grievous had successfully humiliated both Separatist commanders, showing Dooku his worthiness of holding the position of Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies.[15] The General's skill at fighting Jedi prompted Republic HoloNet News to nickname him "The Knight Slayer."[1] As Supreme Commander, Grievous normally traveled with a cadre of IG-100 MagnaGuards, who wielded dangerous electrostaffs made from lightsaber-resistant phrik alloy.[2] Grievous quickly became the face of the Confederacy, and was feared by countless citizens loyal to the Republic.[4]